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When it comes to date night, the poolside restaurant, Tiamo, at the Conrad will win you plenty of love and brownie points.

Romance 101

Location. Location. Location. Tiamo at the newly opened Conrad might just have bagged the best views of the city, and a setup to match that! On the third floor of the hotel, this Italian restaurant overlooks the looming lake, before which the gorgeous infinity pool sets the intimate atmosphere. The entire space is done up like a rustic resort, with cabanas to lie under during the day and dine under at night. Little trees and plants have lights on them, while the cabanas feature mood lighting and candles, all adding to the romantic vibes. It gets very windy, but that is reason enough to cosy up. Or just ask for a shawl, they have lovely pashmina ones you can use. It’s no wonder the place is called Tiamo, which is loosely translated to mean I love you.

Tiamo, Indeed

Highlighting Mediterranean classics, the open kitchen doesn’t experiment, and we’re glad. No need to go messing with Italian Mamma’s recipes. Compressed Tomato and Burrata Salad Organic tomatoes — red, yellow, and purple, with dehydrated olive oil, that looked like soft snow, and the soft, fresh cheese, started us off on a good note. That was topped by a Mezze Platter with house hummus, mint labneh {crunchy!}, fattoush, and soft pita bread and crackers. We tried the Paprika Chicken Skewers too, but skip it in favour of chilli garlic prawns. Don’t miss out on the minestrone Genovese with basil pesto though — spot on.
The vegetarian I went with is officially in love with the Vegetable Tagine which channelled Morocco very well. Spices with paprika, cumin and cayenne peppers, the cous cous had soaked it in nicely. Even I was mopping up the dish with garlic bread. But only until the Sea Bass in a traditional French grenobloise sauce arrived. The fish, with skin, had been lightly grilled such that the outside was crisp, but inside moist yet firm, was a perfect match for the buttery grenobloise with parsley and a hint of lemon. A sprinkle of salt made it all better. We’re eyeing the lamb chops, pizzas and homemade ravioli.

Sweet Everythings

Raise a toast to your date {be it bae, Mum, Dad or BFF} with some of their cocktails. The Bellini and the Red Shoes were our picks. Oh, what a treat they both were. The Bellini, with a lovely sparkling Prosecco, has just that bit of peach pure to add tang. The winner was Red Shoes though — champagne, pomegranate and pureed strawberry. Refreshing, light and smooth, this is the drink to have by your side all day/night long!
End on a sweet note with either the traditional Tiramisu with a solid hit of coffee. Or the Cannoli which is ricotta and mascarpone in filo shells.